Sunday, December 07, 2008

Dilemma
by Vickie
I had a different post saved under draft about my yellow lace socks by Charlene Schurch. I looked back at Ravelry to see when I notes the project started. It was dated April 3. There were two others in a group of women at a shop were I used to hang out that were all going to knit the sock together. One has dropped the idea, one has finished and this one has a dilemma.

I started working on the gusset knowing that I had lost the row count of a 24 row pattern. I thought I was so smart by trying to take a short cut that would like me meet my goal of finishing my 2008 UFOs. I worked on the first sock for about the last three to four hours and got to a point where I could try it on. It's too big. I have never had that happen before. I know why after sitting and starring it for a while this afternoon.

It should fit snugly. I decided to start the gusset and continue on in stockinette. The stockinette is more loose and hence the sock does not fit. So now I have no idea what to do. I really don't want to frog the socks. They have taken too long already so I want to get them done.


As you can see from the photo I have made great progress but now I have no idea what row I am on in the pattern sequence and the only way I can make the sock continue to have the proper flow is to figure out what row I am on. The rows are so similar that I am not sure I will be able to tell one row from the other. I will have to do this to both socks.

Should I frog the socks back to the cuff and start all over? Or should I tink back the rows until I can figure out what row I am on.They are such lovely socks and I really don't want to start all over but...if anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know. I want to finish these by 2009.


Sigh.

8 comments:

Susan Luni said...

Switch to k1 p1 ribbing for the instep. If you think that might be too tedious, you could do a k5, p3 ribbing making the purls line up with the purl, yo, purl combos. That should look ok and snug it up a bit. If it is still too loose, either decrease extra stitches after you finish the gussets, or use ktbl to tighten up the ribbing.
They are really pretty. It would be a shame to frog them.

vlb5757 said...

Thanks for your suggestions. I didn't think about that. I have set them aside and am just looking at them and shaking my head. I really hate to frog them but I would start them all over again and this time keep track of the rows for each sock much better. I guess I could bite the bullet and tink it back to where I can figure out what row I am on and finish one sock at a time. I am just sick that I let they lay around for so long that now I am in a pickle with them. They are such pretty socks.

Tracy Batchelder said...

Don't rip them out!!! Luni's idea about the ribbing should work well. In fact, that might be the best solution. I was thinking maybe you could knit plain stockinette on smaller needles.

vlb5757 said...

I really don't want to rip them out but I want to do the lace down the foot like I was supposed to. I could do ribbing but I have a feeling I will frog them back a bit until I can figure out the row. I really want them to look the way the pattern is in the book. I am using #1 dpns now. I am not sure zeros will make that much of a difference, would it?? I have started another pair of socks currently until I can decide what to do. I might just take them to AL and work on them when we are just sitting around. I am a doofus! That will teach me to put down socks and not finish them!

Anonymous said...

I was going to say exactly what Luni said! I find that up here in cold PA wool socks with eyelets on the insteps are just too chilly. I've been knitting lace cuffs and ribbing or stockinette feet. Sounds like the ribbing will be a great idea to snug it all up, and you don't have to loose your mind trying to figure out where you are on the chart.
best of luck, your socks are beautiful so far!

vlb5757 said...

I remember how cold it gets in PA. I rememeber tons of snow one year that we thought would never end.

I haven't done anything about the socks, but soon. I need to get them done so I can not worry about them anymore. The leg at least looks good!

Anonymous said...

If you haven't done anything with the socks yet, here's an idea. Using entirely different yarn and needles, knit a swatch of the pattern, keeping track of which round you are on. After every round, compare your work to the socks. When they match, you've found the row.

vlb5757 said...

Tamar-I was actually thinking about knitting these socks again in a different color so your suggestion isn't that far off the mark. I want the foot pattern to match what's on the leg so I am not giving up! Thanks for stopping by.